Liquid compositions for cleaning hard-surfaces have been disclosed in the prior art. Much of the focus for such compositions has been to provide outstanding cleaning benefits on a variety of surfaces and to provide improved performance on a variety of soils such as the removal of limescale and other depositions such as greasy soap scum.
EP 0 957 156 B1 discloses a liquid acidic surface cleaning composition comprising an anionic surfactant, a polysaccharide polymer and a homo copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone, or a mixture thereof.
WO 01/31110 A1 discloses a aqueous hard surface cleaning composition, efficient for removing greasy soap scum, for bathroom comprising surfactants, organic solvent, tetrapotassium ethylendiamine tetraacetate and an abrasive.
WO 09/960,085 discloses a liquid surface cleaner rinse for rinsing greasy soap scum comprising amphoteric surfactants, a chelating agent, a solvent, a builder and a base or an acid.
It is well-known in the art that limescale deposits can be chemically removed with acidic solutions. However, liquid acidic compositions described in the art are not fully satisfactory from a consumer viewpoint especially regarding the greasy soap scum removal properties. Moreover, there are limitations to the convenience and usefulness of acidic compositions commonly used as hard surface cleaner. Indeed, it is know that some surfaces are sensitive to acids and may be severely damaged by acidic compositions. Such surfaces are defined herein as delicate surfaces. Delicate surfaces are for example linoleum, plastic, plastified wood, metal, enamel or varnished surfaces. Particularly delicate surfaces are plastic surfaces. Plastic surfaces are surfaces commonly used in bathroom and toilet in certain countries, especially Asiatic countries.
Thus, there is a constant need for the development of cleaning compositions with better cleaning performance on delicate surface, including improved soap scum cleaning performance and excellent limescale removal performance, without damaging delicate surface such as plastic surfaces.
Therefore, the present invention relates to compositions well adapted to treat delicate surfaces wherein the compositions have improved soap scum cleaning performance while delivering also excellent limescale removal performance.
It has now been surprisingly found that the problems of past acidic compositions may be met in part by providing a liquid composition comprising: a nonionic surfactant or a mixture thereof, an amine oxide or a mixture thereof, a glycol ether solvent, a chelant and a cationic polymer. A feature of this composition is that this composition does not contain any anionic surfactant. Another feature of this composition is that this composition has a pH between 3 and 7.
The composition described herein may provide improved soap scum removal performances when applied on hard-surfaces without damaging the treated surface, especially delicate surfaces. Indeed, the composition is safe to said surfaces while exhibiting a good cleaning performance on a variety of soils. The composition is safe for the person who uses it, i.e. said composition is not too aggressive toward the human skin.
The composition may provide outstanding greasy soap scum performance and soil repellency properties when the composition is applied to hard surface, meaning that the composition will prevent or at least reduce the deposition of soil after an initial cleaning operation. Moreover, the composition may exhibit good filming and/or streaking performance and good shine performance; which means herein that the above composition may provide a surface which is clean and which has a shiny appearance without showing any visible filming and/or streaking.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the liquid compositions may show good stain/soil removal performance on various types of stains/soils in particular: greasy soils, e.g., greasy soap scum or greasy soils found in kitchens; limescale; mold; mildew; and other tough stains found on surfaces. More particularly, increased removal performance upon contact of the liquid composition may be obtained on greasy stains, as well as on particulate greasy stains and greasy soap scum, without applying mechanical action.
The composition of the present invention may be used on various delicate hard surfaces such as plastic and enamel. Enamel and plastic surfaces can be found in various places, e.g., in households: in kitchens (sinks and the like); in bathrooms (tubs, sinks, shower tiles, bathroom enamelware and the like) . . . . The composition of the present invention may also be used to clean hard surfaces made of a variety of materials like glazed and non-glazed ceramic tiles, stainless steel, Inox®, Formica®, vinyl, no-wax vinyl, linoleum, melamine, all plastics and plastified wood.
The present invention provides a process for cleaning hard surfaces, more specifically delicate hard surfaces, with the composition of the present invention. The process of the present invention provides outstanding greasy soap scum and limescale performance and also soil repellency properties when the composition is applied to hard surface, meaning that the composition will prevent or at least reduce the deposition of soil after an initial cleaning operation. In one embodiment of the present invention, the composition is packaged in a spray-type container, preferably a mechanical trigger spray-type dispenser. The composition of the present invention will thus be applied onto a hard surface in the form of a spray.